With temperatures up to 38°C in the shade, June 2014 is very hot. The beehives stand in the blazing sun almost all day long - what temperatures might be inside the hives? The youngest offspring was given a honeycomb filled with water, as there are hardly any flying bees in this colony that could fetch water.

The bees, however, do not show any conspicuous behaviour: While the linden and blackberry trees blossom in the immediate vicinity, there is air traffic from early in the morning until late in the evening. During the night, the bees are busy fanning cool air into the hive to dry the nectar they collect.

At night, when Heilbronn is asleep and everything is quiet, a steady hum and hiss can be heard in the hives.

The photo was taken at 00:44 am.